Bhutan

Bhutan is about as unusual a country as you could hope to find.
Tucked away between Tibet and India in the eastern Himalayas, the
geography of this small, landlocked kingdom ensured its isolation
from the rest of the world for centuries, in the process preserving
the country's Buddhist culture and traditional lifestyle very much
intact.

Why we think you’ll love it

Bhutan famously values Gross National Happiness above Gross
National Product, and a few days in the fresh air and majestic
scenery here should enhance your general net happiness

The food in the luxury hotels is yummy - try delicious cheese
and pork-filled momo dumplings made from pigs fattened up by
farmers on the plentiful Bhutanese marijuana

To go to Bhutan and not trek up to Tiger's Nest is like going
to India and not seeing the Taj Mahal. We can arrange a wonderful
overnight camping experience where you stay overnight high up the
mountain on a sheltered plateau and then descend down in the
morning - a very special experience

Our guide to holidays in Bhutan

Bhutan is wonderfully unspoilt by the outside world, and the
Bhutanese set great store by their traditions and beliefs.
Inevitably, however, the modern world is beginning to filter in to
this Himalayan kingdom - a ban on TV was lifted in 1999, for
example - but it remains a wonderfully unspoilt corner of the
world. While Bhutan is slowly changing, the nation's government -
recently transformed from an absolute to a constitutional monarchy
- does its best to manage the transition. Hefty daily tariffs to
visit the country keep tourist numbers low and help safeguard the
nation's culture, identity and the pristine natural
environment.

Did you know

The Bhutanese refer to their country as the 'Land of the
Thunder Dragon', which has got a nice ring to it

Bhutan's national animal is the 'takin', a goat-antelope

All Bhutanese citizens become one year older on New Year's Day
- this way no-one's birthday is forgotten

The countries national sports are archery… and darts

Journeys to Bhutan generally begin and end at Paro, where the
country's only international airport is located. Paro is also the
base from which to see probably the highest of Bhutan's many
highlights, the fabulous Tiger's Nest monastery. Beyond Paro, and
depending on how long you have, we can create an incredible
tailormade itinerary to take in such wonders as the Wangdi Valley,
famous for its extremely rare black cranes; the wonderful Dzongs
(fortresses), temples and palaces in Bumthang; and Punakha, the
one-time capital of Bhutan, built at the confluence of the mighty
Phochu and Mochu Rivers.

Aside from simple immersion in a thoroughly alien but
fascinating culture, trekking is one of the main activities, and
keen walkers will be in their element here. Other activities
include white-water rafting (from September to May), instruction in
archery using traditional bamboo bows, and trout fishing in the
many mountain streams and rivers, thanks to a British army officer
who introduced trout as he missed the fishing of his homeland.

Most of Bhutan's population still wears the traditional national
dress of knee or ankle-length robes and is occupied in agriculture
of making traditional handicrafts which can be bought at the
markets of the current capital, Thimphu.

Original Travel consultants know Bhutan well and can arrange for
participation in archery tournaments, dancing at religious tsechus
(festivals), trekking to fantastic monasteries, mountain-biking
along 12,000 ft mountain passes or, between March and May, walks on
hillsides ablaze with wildflowers.

From the gallery

Original Highlight

From the moment you start your descent into the Paro Valley the excitement begins; as the plane weaves down through the foothills, occasionally you feel that you are so close to the mountains that the tips of the wings might just touch the valley side - amazing, but perhaps not for nervous flyers.

Flight from London

Time Difference

Useful Links

Top picks for Bhutan

Tiger's Nest

Bhutan

Tatsang Palphug, also known as the Tiger’s Nest, is a Buddhist monastery clinging to the side of a steep cliff. A must see for anyone who is lucky enough to enter the world’s last remaining Shangri La, this temple complex lies 3000ft above the Paro Valley, where many long distance treks start from.

Trekking in Bhutan

Bhutan

Some of the best trekking on Earth is in the mountainous kingdom of Bhutan, including both day treks and longer treks such as the six day Druk Path Trek, which follows the ancient trading route between Paro and Thimpu.

Amankora Punakha

Bhutan

While some of the other Aman properties are based on designs from dzong fortress monasteries, Amankora Punakha is a lovingly converted Bhutanese farmhouse, with a correspondingly intimate feel, and set in orange orchards and farmland with the ever-present mountains as a backdrop.

Festivals

Bhutan

An integral part of Bhutanese culture are the festivals conveniently spaced throughout the year. These exotic and mysterious commemorations are calculated using the (highly complicated) Bhutanese lunar calendar.